Audi E-Tron vs Lexus NX250
What's the difference?

Audi E-Tron

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2022 price

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Lexus NX250

$42,990 - $58,888

2023 price

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Rolls-Royce Spectre (bev)

Summary

2022 Audi E-Tron

2023 Lexus NX250

By Tom White

By Byron Mathioudakis

Safety Rating

Electric motor type

Multi-Motor – Mixed Types

Inline 4, 2.5L

Vehicle type

Battery Electric

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Electric range

320 km

6.9L/100km (combined)

Energy consumption

27.0 kWh/100km

Battery capacity

95.00 kWh

Seating

Likes

Mean looks
Understated power
Mind-bending handling

Affordability and equipment
Elegant outside, luxurious inside
Hugely quieter and more refined than before

Dislikes

Feels its weight around town
Lacking some EV innovations
Energy efficiency

Driver-assist tech could use some Aussie road tuning
Hard to tell apart from previous design
NX 250 engine needs the open road to truly shine

2022 Audi E-Tron Summary

The e-tron S was inevitable.

The marriage of the latest automotive trends – sporty electrified SUVs with specific performance bits, the e-tron S is as much rooted in Audi’s future as it is in the present.

Having been one of the earliest fully electric German cars in the space, and now with a few years of age on it. Can the e-tron S shine as one of the best? Read on to find out.

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2023 Lexus NX250 Summary

As far as clichés go, attempting to make “a silk purse from a sow’s ear” couldn’t be more apt than when contemplating the original NX of 2014.

What was essentially the Lexus-fication of the vocal, fidgety and thirsty old Toyota RAV4 may have worked a treat sales-wise, but proved trickier when assessed against the lens of a BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Volvo XC60 rival.

The earliest NX just wasn’t refined enough.

This was especially true following the reborn RAV4 arrival in 2019, proving to be embarrassingly more competent – even compared to most luxury midsized SUV alternatives.

Now, finally, the NX redesign has followed suit, moving on to a variation of the Toyota’s stronger, quieter and more advanced TNGA architecture (dubbed GA-K) as a starting base.

Speaking of which, let’s dive straight into the least-expensive version, the NX 250 Luxury 2WD auto, to find out if the most popular Lexus model in Australia has finally found its mojo.

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Deep dive comparison

2022 Audi E-Tron 2023 Lexus NX250

Verdict

The e-tron S looks mean, feels premium, and blends serious power with surprising grace under pressure. I still can’t shake the feeling I had with the standard e-tron, though, that this car is an Audi sports SUV first and an electric car second, and its weight holds it back from being as fun to drive as I think some rivals are.

If you love Audi and you want to go electric without stepping into something too unfamiliar it’s a great option. If you want an electric car which takes full advantage of what the next generation of technology can offer, keep an eye out, there’s plenty of fresh metal on the way.

Verdict

So, is the cheapest Lexus NX the grade you’d skip? Depends on where you live and drive.

If you’re urban based and bound, save up a bit more and go the petrol-electric hybrid; otherwise, out on country roads especially, the spirited and sporty NX 250 is more than up to the task.

Either way, though, the latest NX is finally fit to fight the other premium brands’ medium SUV efforts, head on and held up high. Welcome to big mid league, Lexus.

Ignore or underestimate at your own peril, everybody else.

Audi E-Tron vs Lexus NX250 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Audi E-Tron vs Lexus NX250
What's the difference?